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Adventure/Tactical with a horror flavor. My first commercial project ever (eep). In addition for testing the waters for people who might want to sign onto the project, I wanted to see people's reaction to this idea and see if it's worth madly devoting time to.



Marina Marx is the biggest pop star. She’s the voice you can’t ignore. The idol you can’t hate. The girl you can’t escape...

And if anyone can attest to that last part, it’s recently-discovered busker Lucy Banner, who recently signed onto the same label as Marina. Within hours of meeting the angel-faced singer, she can already tell they’re something amiss with the pop princess and her devoted fan base. Barring the fact that said fan base has been likened to “happy cult zombies” by one (missing) blogger, “haters” of their musical goddess have a tendency to turn up scared out of their wits, missing, or (of late) dead.

Now Lucy (AKA “you”) have been labeled as a “hater” by Marina’s adoring public, and the world isn’t feeling as safe these days. Many people have been staring at you strangely. Someone appears to have gone through your apartment from time to time. And at times, you can swear that you’re being followed...

How is Marina doing this? Is she simply a good singer, or is there something far more stranger afoot? What’s more, can you live long enough to discover the truth?

A third-person survival horror whose story takes hints from the likes of Junji Ito and Re: Kinder, Marina trades in your standard zombies for demented masses happily trapped under the spell of a pinkophilic pop princess. What’s more, instead of abandoned towns/mansions/military bases, you trek through everyday life, albeit constantly having to worry about someone trying to kill you and never knowing how/when/who will strike....



Like any survival-horror, Marina will try to keep you on your toes. But unlike games that poke your nerves simply because enemies are everywhere, this one will keep you on guard because enemies are everywhere and you don’t always know who they are or when/how they’ll attack.

As you go about your business, a series of (dangerous) events will be randomly generated, no two playthroughs being alike. Marina’s music has dominated many ears- cops, studio staff, possibly any person you meet on the street, and so on- so anyone could try to hurt you at any given time and any given place...

• A person approaching you on the street might be a stalker coming in for the kill...or someone just trying to get an autograph.
• A kindly studio janitor/secretary/so on might be just that...or a puppet of Marina’s that is waiting for you to lower your guard and strike.
• A doctor you decided to visit to treat any injuries might try to kill you...or simply try to fix you up.
• You could feel threatened and try to call 911...only to have the responding cop be another Marinaphite that will try to finish you off themselves.

You never know who’s on the clock as Marina’s proxy, nor in what manner they will strike. All you know is that you’re never safe as long as you're in Lucy's shoes, whether you’re on the street or in your apartment. You have to always be on the look out and think fast when danger strikes.

But even then, that’s only half the story. While dying at the hands of some demented Marina drone and getting a game over is bad enough, your actions will determine your fate/ending/course in the story.

• Avoid fans simply out of fear? You might be branded as being stand-offish......But if you answer interview questions or interact with fans online enough, your reputation might be saved.

[*]Make claims of being stalked whilst incriminating evidence is removed by Marina’s drones? You might be labeled as being paranoid...

• ...But if you are able to provide evidence/stop an attack, people might see some credibility to your claims.

[*]Refuse to sing at gigs/attend autograph sessions/so on? Sales of your music might plummet, resulting in your label dropping you....

• ...But if you interact with fans well enough/find ways to bypass typical gigs, fans might still  hold you dear in their hearts, saving your career.

What's more, the game is very much an interactive horror story as much as it is a horror game, as much of it will be about exploring the lore/world of the game; more profoundly in side-stories in between levels. And depending on the inevitable crowd-funding attempt, perspectives of this might include fans of Marina, rival singers, and even a proxy on the job.



  MARINA MARX~ Born in some small little town few can find on a map, wandering orphan Marina Marx took the nation by storm with her sweet pop ballads, smile, and sheer charm. As far as the world can tell, she's free of vice. Isn't taking drugs, hiding some random disorder, or having a spot in some cult. But few will argue against her hold on a fan base whose devotion is stuff of a cult leader or politician's dream. In fact, if one didn't know better, the might also say that it's supernatural.

  LUCY BANNER~ Against the wishes and warnings of most people who know her, Lucy dedicated her life to music. An antithesis to Marina, Lucy tends to favor grungy, raw tunes with brutally-honest lyrics and a disregard for fashion. TV and internet being a casualty for the sake of paying her bills, Lucy never heard of Marina until signing onto Endless Dream Productions. Now she wishes she never did. Lucy wants to survive, but she also doesn't want to give up on her one chance for her dreams to come true...

  MILES PAYTON~ A person you play as in between levels, Miles was originally a disgraced reporter-turned-tabloid "reporter" whose assignment required him to dig up dirt on Marina some months before the game. Of course, given that Marina squeaks more than a clean bathroom surface, this task was difficult. At one point, Miles just vanished into nowhere, much to the confusion of those around him. Did he get a scoop? Or rather, was it more than he was looking for?

JACK WIER~ The man who discovered Lucy, Jack has all the makings of an great guy and is easily one of Lucy's biggest allies. Easy going, charming, and having a healthy sense of humor, it's sad to think that anything bad's happening to him. But it isn't, is it? I mean, it's not like he's hiding his pain. We sure hope not. Because if he is, Marina might work her ways on him if the player's not careful...

WARREN NICCALS~ Marina's agent, Warren will usually be seen by Marina, if not all the time. Grateful to have found a bankable artist for the first time in his career, Warren seems to be always on the look out for her well-being. In fact, he appears to be flat-out obsessed. Is he a fan as well, or is he simply looking out for his meal ticket?



This project has been put on hold for now, but if you're still interested, please feel free to contact me!

My main areas of concern would be artists (for character busts/scene pictures/so on) and spriters. I'm not really full-on looking for these parts right now, but if you're interested, feel free to drop me a line! (And yes, financial compensation would very much be a thing!)